Nightmare on Joker Street
by ClownQween'69
Summary: This year, Halloween in Gotham City will not be the innocent, fun night everyone is anticipating. Gruesome & tragic events will turn the traditional night into a seemingly endless nightmare, but at least Joker, Joey and Willow will have their fun. (Halloween one-shot, featuring characters from The Sickness Series. Confusion and spoilers will occur if you have not read the series!)
1. Chapter 1

**Here is the Joker one-shot I've promised! Please note that while it does feature The Sickness Series characters (Willow & Joey) this story does NOT take place anywhere within the actual series. This is just an idea I've had for a while, and something I've always wanted to write and publish for my readers. So please, sit back, read, and enjoy!**

* * *

Orange, red, and yellow leaves crumbled and crunched under car tires and shoes of busy Gothamites as they walked down the streets, and up above blankets of light gray clouds covered the sky and sun, dousing Gotham City in a bland, gray light. It was Fall, and Halloween was only a day away. Seasonal costume stores were witnessing their busiest day, and were filled with excited children purchasing their costumes while adults pondered what they wanted to be, or if they even wanted to dress up at all. Families had been busy all month long, hanging decorations inside their homes while more excited citizens embellished the outside of their houses with lights, spiderwebs, and plastic, inflatable Halloween characters. But as Willow Fox turned her purple Audi TT onto Joey's street, she knew exactly what to expect.

His giant tan house was bare of any spiderwebs, inflatable characters or lights. His windows were lacking any minuscule pictures taped to them, like most Gotham citizens did, but Willow knew the two men inside the house were anything but normal Gotham citizens. Joey hated Halloween, and Willow knew Joker probably didn't care either way. Willow had never been too big on Halloween either, but this hadn't stopped her from purchasing themed sugar cookies and a few, cheap decorations she hoped Joey would let her hang, just for fun. She could already predict how the complaining would go, but since Willow was the one who was expected to do the shopping, she figured she had some say in what was bought.

She drove her car up the long driveway, and after she had parked it inside the garage next to Joker's Tahoe, she turned the car off, popped the trunk open, and stepped out of it to take out the five bags of groceries. She managed to close the trunk, and when she walked inside the house she was instantly greeted with the sound of a woman screaming on TV and Joker's quiet cackling on the couch. She grinned to herself as she made her way toward the kitchen, and upon glancing into the living room she found Joker and Joey to be exactly where they had been before she left; Joker sprawled out on the larger couch while Joey relaxed on the matching loveseat adjacent to it near the hallway, his bare feet up on the coffee table. As she walked past, Willow noticed a new horror movie had since come on, and it seemed as though it was off to a quick start as a woman's screams were cut short as a bloody, gruesome death took her over.

"That would _not _happen!" Joker spoke loudly between fits of giggles, and he pointed a lose, bare finger at the TV, his wide grin refusing to leave his lips. "Blood would _not_ spray out from that type of wound. This movie sucks."

"Shut _up_," Joey hissed at him, his eyes still fixed to the TV. "This is a classic."

"I don't know _why_," Joker mumbled as he took his arm back to cross again over his chest. It seemed as though Willow's presence had gone unnoticed for the time being as she unloaded the groceries, which she was fine with, until Joker standing suddenly from the couch caught her attention. She had just finished putting a new carton of orange juice away in the fridge, and she turned to glance in his direction as he made his way over to her, a commercial playing on the TV behind him. He had been planning on stopping by the fridge to get a glass of the orange juice he had instructed Willow to buy, but he paused when something on the breakfast bar caught his attention. He took a step back and slid over the objects that had diverted him, and he instantly grinned as he started down at the hang-able, paper Halloween decorations.

"_Willow_," he started in a false, concerned voice. "You _know_ Halloween is _banned _in Joseph's house."

"He can deal with it," Willow replied in a small voice as she turned away from the fridge once it was closed, and she paused near the counter on the opposite side of it when Joey suddenly stood up from the couch to join them in the kitchen.

"Deal with what?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing as his eyes instantly found what Joker was looking at, and a frown found his face before he even knew what it was. But his sight only confirmed his thoughts, and he rolled his eyes as he turned away from the counter, not interested in the stupid character decorations Willow had purchased, with _his _money.

"Aww, c'mon Joseph," Joker started as he picked up the three decorations to sort through them. "Look, we've got an evil clown, _that's suiting_..." he tossed the decoration onto the counter before moving on to the next two. "A Jack O' Lantern... _Oh! _And y_our_ type of lady: a witch with green skin and warts." He tossed the last two onto the counter before glancing up to Joey as he rounded the breakfast bar to step into the main area of the kitchen, but Joey was ignoring him.

"Sounds great," he mumbled, disregarding Joker's comment. His eyes instantly narrowed on the plastic container of cookies that sat on the counter, and with a closer look he realized the cookies had little Jack O' Lanterns on them. He rolled his eyes at this too as he turned to face Willow, who was now leaning against the counter near the breakfast bar. "You're _killin' _me with this Halloween shit, girly," he said in an unamused tone of voice.

"Please just let me hang those," Willow pleaded. "That's all I'll put up-"

"There's more?" Joey interrupted, his eyebrows raising, and Willow made a face at him as she shook her head.

"No," she replied, about to go on, but she paused when Joey let out a sigh of relief.

"Good."

"Why do you hate Halloween so much?" Willow asked him as she crossed her arms over her chest. Joey sighed again as he turned to face the counter, and he reached out to open the container of cookies.

"Because Halloween meant nothing but stress to me. I don't hate it, I just chose not to participate, you feel me?"

"Says the man who's grabbing out a Halloween _cookie_ as we speak," Joker mumbled, and Willow couldn't help but to grin. Joey had taken a bite, and now he turned to point a finger at Joker.

"Don't even go there," he said firmly with a mouth full of cookie.

Joker raised his hands in false defense as he leaned away from the counter. "I'm not going _anywhere_. But I'm wondering if perhaps this year you'll be willing to uh, change your _close-minded _ways about _October 31__st__._"Joey was glaring at him, and when Joker figured he wasn't going to interrupt him, he went on. "Maybe this year it'll be fun to... oh, I don't know... _celebrate_."

Joey rolled his eyes again as he finished off the cookie. "Because you've always been such a fan. Tell me, Jack, what did Halloween mean to you when you were a kid?"

"It meant near death pranks on my mother, ass-loads of candy, and decorations of dead animals suddenly became more acceptable," Joker responded easily. "I think this year could be fun."

Joey was instantly shaking his head. "Well whatever plans you got brewin' in your head, leave me outta' them."

"See? You're already _embracing _the cheer that _is _Halloween, Joseph! _Brew_? Like _witch's brew_?"

"_No_" Joey defended as he sat back down, his eyes glaring directly into Joker's. "That's not what I meant, jackass, and you know that." He turned to face the TV again just as the movie came back on while Joker glanced over to Willow. He winked at her with a grin, and before Willow could do or say anything about it he turned around to head back into the living room himself.

–

The afternoon passed quickly. After Joker and Joey had returned to their movie, Willow had made herself a late lunch before joining them in the living room, and she whined whenever Joker stole some of her food from her plate. Eventually, the movie became too boring for her tastes, so she excused herself, rinsed her plate, and headed upstairs to find something to do.

Eventually, Willow had found time to hang her Halloween directions after Joker and especially Joey had disappeared. She felt as though if Joey witnessed her hanging them, he would stop her, but if they were already hung before he could do anything to stop it, he'd accept it. She chose to hang them on the wall in front of the table by the screen door that led out to the deck, putting the clown first nearest the cabinets, then the witch in middle, and the Jack O' Lantern near the door. She had stepped back to admire her work, and she grinned to herself before turning to reward herself with a cookie. She had never been too big on Halloween herself, but she felt adding just a _little _decoration in Joey's house couldn't hurt.

Around six o' clock, Willow found herself wandering downstairs again. As she headed toward the kitchen, she could see Joker sitting outside on the deck, smoking a cigarette. She considered joining him, but she paused near the breakfast bar, however, when she noticed Joey was in the kitchen, cleaning. She grinned as she watched him vigorously wipe down the counters, and she leaned over the breakfast bar to observe him further.

"What?" Joey asked a minute later as he glanced over to her. "You never seen a man _clean _before?" He turned to throw the wipe away before he reached in the container to get another, and Willow watched as he started to wipe down the fridge.

"No," she answered. "Actually I haven't."

"Well how you like it?" Joey asked her. Willow shrugged.

"I think it's wonderful," she answered in the same tone. "Joey?"

"Yeah?"

"How come you don't like Halloween?"

Joey finished wiping down the fridge and turning to throw out the wipe before he answered. "It was always stressful when I was young," he replied. "With Danny and what not."

"Why?" Willow asked, glancing over to the wall to make sure her decorations were still hung. When her eyes instantly found them, she glanced away to look back at Joey when he started to talk.

"Because I never fucking got to dress up and be the things I wanted," Joey replied in a slightly angry tone, and Willow couldn't help but to smile. "I'd make the mistake of telling him what I wanted to be, he'd get the costume before I could, and one-up me. Every Halloween my parents would go to some party, and I was forced to stay with Danny and go 'trick-or-treating'..." he held up his fingers to do quotes around the phrase before he let his hands drop down and smack against his leather pants. "But we never did. He'd go to a party and drag me along, then sneak us in back before Mom and Dad got home."

"Doesn't sound too bad," Willow pointed out.

"I guess, but it was hard when I was little. Eventually I told him to fuck off, and I stayed home and watched movies. That's been sorta tradition ever since. But _Jack's_ making that near impossible," he mumbled as he turned around to put his cleaning products back under the sink. Willow smiled at this, and when Joey turned around to look at her again she glanced up at him. "What about you?" He asked. "What did you always do for Halloween?"

Willow sat up slightly. "Well, when my mom was still alive she'd take me trick or treating," Willow started. "But... after she died, and after I moved to my uncle's house, I lost interest in it. He'd always leave and go to poker games or something, and I'd just stay home and give out candy and watch movies."

"Sounds about right," Joey said. "Halloween is about stupid kids, not adults. If Jack is seriously planning something I want nothing to do with it. There's a Criss Angle marathon on all night tomorrow, and I'm _not _about to miss that shit, you feel me?"

Willow laughed as she leaned away from the counter, and she nodded.

"Alright, well, I'm gonna head out," Joey said as he started out of the kitchen, his mind already focusing on the club. "Tell Jack that if he fucks up my kitchen, I'll kill him."

"Okay," Willow said as she watched him start toward the stairs.

"And tell him not to touch the damn TV, I have movies recording and the channel can't get changed."

"Okay," Willow replied with a grin, suddenly really wanting to go outside and have a cigarette with Joker.

"And," Joey called out just as he had started for the garage door. "_Don't_ leave Alro outside. I think it's gonna start raining. I'm trusting you girl, 'cause I know Jack will leave him out there all night."

"Okay," Willow replied one final time before she pushed herself away from the counter. She heard the garage door shut, and just when she turned to start toward the sliding glass doors she noticed the witch decoration in the middle was starting to hang off of the wall, and knowing this would drive her crazy she stepped up to it just as Joey opened the main garage and started his car. She raised herself up onto her tiptoes to press the tape on the witch's hat back in place, and just when she had finished the glass door next to her slid open. She glanced over to Joker just as he had glanced over to her, and she watched his greedy eyes roam down her body before they slowly traveled back up to stare into her green eyes. He licked his lips slowly and held his ground as Willow lowered herself before stepping toward him. He kept his eyes on her as she slowly started away, and he turned his body before taking a small step toward her as Willow rounded the breakfast bar to step into the kitchen to grab her pack of cigarettes from the counter.

"Where'd Joey go?" Joker wondered, his eyes flashing over to the clock on the microwave before he lowered them back to Willow as she opened up the box.

"Work," Willow replied.

"And... what were his _requests_?"

"Um," Willow thought back as she plucked a cigarette from the box. She had wanted to smoke with Joker, but now she just wanted a cigarette regardless if she'd be alone or not. Perhaps, if she was lucky, Joker would join her outside for another. "He told you not to fuck up the kitchen, he just cleaned it, don't touch the TV, and to let Arlo inside in a little bit."

Joker tugged the corners of his lips down as he nodded, and he took another step closer to the edge of the breakfast bar. "Do you work tonight?"

"No," Willow answered as she picked up her lighter, and she started around the counter, only to pause when she stepped in front of Joker, who seemed to have no desire of letting her pass. He stared into her eyes, and her heart started to race as a grin slowly spread onto his bare lips, and butterflies started in her stomach. She recognized that grin.

"How _fortunate_," Joker replied as he took a step closer to her, and a shock ran up her spine when his hands slid onto her hips, his fingers slipping under the bottom of her shirt. Willow continued to stare up at him, but her eyes slowly started to slide closed the closer Joker got, and she couldn't help but to sigh once his lips touched hers. The kiss was gentle, Willow could barely feel his lips against hers, and when she tried to press herself and her own lips closer to him, Joker would pull away slightly, not giving her the chance. She could barely feel the sly grin that appeared on his lips, and a shiver ran through her when Joker slid his hands up her body, his right hand grabbing the shirt and pulling it up as he did, while his left hand traveled up her forearm to take the cigarette and lighter from her hand. He reached around her as he turned their bodies slightly to place the items on the counter before he started to push Willow back toward the counter on the opposite side of the fridge. Finally, Joker closed his own eyes and deepened the kiss, and he broke it for a slight second to pull Willow's shirt up and off of her body, exposing her lacy black bra. She lowered her arms now as Joker tossed the clothing onto the wooden floor behind him, and she couldn't help but to let out a small laugh when Joker placed his hands on her wide hips to lift her up onto the counter in front of him. He took a step closer to her and resumed the kiss as he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her against himself.

"Joey said not to fuck up the kitchen," Willow reminded him with a grin, her lips still against his. Joker let out an annoyed sigh against her.

"He never said we couldn't fuck _in _the kitchen, now, _did he?_" Joker returned with a growl that sent a fit of shocks up Willow's spine, and her grin expanded as Joker forcibly brought back the kiss, his way of telling Willow he was through with talking. By this point Willow was too far gone; she wanted Joker, and she'd do anything and obey all his commands to get him.

She ran her hands up his bare arms and over the sleeves of his white t-shirt before she wrapped her arms around around his neck, pulling him even closer to her, and she moaned gently when Joker bit down on her bottom lip. Her moans instantly turned into a small noise of pain when Joker bit down harder, and she squeezed her eyes tight as Joker leaned away, pulling her lip with him before he released it suddenly. The pain faded as quickly as it had come, and when she opened her eyes she saw Joker was grinning at her. _So it's gonna be like that, is it...?_

Willow smirked, her hand sliding slowly up Joker's neck before she took a handful of his hair, and Joker cringed slightly when she pulled on it. He leaned closer to her, catching her lips with his own, and Willow pulled harder on his hair. He groaned against her as he tightened his arms around her hips, and in response Willow wrapped her legs tightly around him before she lifted her free hand to run her fingers through Joker's fading green hair.

Eventually kissing wasn't enough, and shivers ran down Willow's side as Joker raked his nails up her back before ripping apart the clasp on her bra, and she took her hands from his hair to remove her arms from the straps. Joker tossed her broken bra behind him, and before Willow's hands could return to his hair or her lips to his, Joker leaned into to plant a small kiss on her neck before he trailed his tongue down the length of her neck. Willow closed her eyes and tilted her head back, moaning when Joker traced the outline of her collarbone before he made his way lower down her body. Her lips parted when she felt Joker's tongue run over her nipple, and she moaned his name as she listened to his teeth clank against her nipple ring.

Her hands idly found their way to his shoulder blades, and she clutched on the fabric that covered them as Joker licked his way back up to her neck before she slid her hands down his sides to grab the bottom of his shirt. She started to slide it up, and in a surge of haste Joker took his hands from her body to quickly finish with removing his shirt before throwing it carelessly behind him. When his hands found her body again, his fingers were already moving to undo her pants just as his lips crashed against hers, and Willow inched herself closer to the edge of the counter so she could follow Joker's actions on his own jeans. Finishing at nearly the same time, Willow hopped off the counter just as Joker had started to pull her pants and underwear down, and once Willow's feet touched the wooden floor she bent down slightly, yanking Joker's pants down while her own fell down to her ankles. She stepped out of them and kicked them to the side while Joker stepped out of his, and immediately after he reached out to grab Willow's upper arm and pull her closer to him. A grin slid onto her lips, a laugh escaping a second later, but just before her body could collide with Joker's, he stretched his leg and bent it at the knee to place behind Willow's knees, and he let go of her arm before pushing her. Her laugh turned into a slight scream as she fell backwards, Joker's legs behind her causing her to fall quicker, and she instinctively extended her arms behind her to catch her fall. She landed on the palms of her hands with a loud_ thud!_ that echoed throughout the kitchen, but before she could even begin to comprehend what had just happened, Joker had fallen down onto his knees in front of her just as her scream had started to fade away. They had gone from standing to laying on the floor in a matter of milliseconds, and while Willow's hands stung and Joker's knees sent shocks of pain throughout his body, their arousal intensified, and that grin came back to Willow's lips when Joker forcibly pushed apart her legs to move his body in between them.

As Joker situated himself in between her, Willow stretched her arms and moved them down the clean floor on either side of her, and as her heart raced faster she glanced up at Joker. "Joey's gonna kill us," she breathed, barely able to speak already.

"He can try," Joker returned in a low, husky voice, still not in the mood for talking, and in efforts to get Willow to shut up he plunged himself inside her, loving the way Willow cried out as she clenched her eyes tight. Her mouth hung open as Joker started to thrust inside her, his hips swinging violently against hers, and as he held himself up with his left hand, he used his right to collect Willow's wrists before he forced them over his head, and he balanced out his weight by holding them there. Stuck in the painful situation, Willow's moans escaped past her gritted teeth, and she wished there was some way she could return the favor of pain on Joker. When she opened her eyes she saw that he was staring down intently at her with those dark blue eyes, a murderous grin on his lips, and after she stared at him for a moment longer, Joker's tongue came out to flicker over his lips quickly before he leaned down to kiss her. But as he continued to move his body against hers, Willow was quick to act on her desires, and she was just barely able to take his bottom lip in between her teeth before he could kiss her. Joker's eyes opened when she applied more pressure, but they closed a second later as a slight pain started to swarm the area. Her own eyes closed, Willow bit down harder, Joker squeezing her wrists together tighter in response, and she groaned against him as Joker started to pull away. She kept her teeth clenched on his lip, but once she opened her eyes she immediately recognized the look in his own, and she quickly let go.

"If my lip swells up," Joker began. "You're in _big _trouble."

Willow grinned Joker's favorite and delicious, sleepy grin as she stared up at him, and she shrugged as best she could while in her position. "Just returning the favor," she replied.

Joker's eyes widened slightly as a stronger arousal overcame him, and he growled as he leaned down to firmly kiss her, finally letting go of her wrists. Willow kissed him back, her body going stiff the harder Joker started to thrust, and he caught her moans in his mouth as she raked her nails down his arms, feeling her finish approaching. Joker pulled away from her, and he opened his eyes to stare down at her once he felt the wet walls of her pussy starting to clench around him. Her eyes were closed, her mouth hanging open, and suddenly this bothered Joker.

"Look at me," he growled quietly, watching as Willow's eyes popped open, her mouth closing in unison. Willow tried her hardest to keep her eyes open, but each time they started to close Joker would squeeze on her wrists, the pain surges forcing them back open, and finally, after this happening a few more times, Willow came, her powerful orgasm washing over her entire body. She breathed out Joker's name loudly, expressing over and over again that she was cumming, and shortly after, Joker did the same. He squeezed on her wrists one final time as he spilled himself into her, his own eyes sliding closed as he let out a low growl, and Willow dug her nails into his skin as the awesome feeling started to fade away.

Joker remained on top of her, breathing heavily while Willow did the same from under him. Outside, Arlo began to bark, but Willow tried to ignore it and instead enjoyed the lingering feelings of her orgasm. As he leaned away from her, his eyes met her gaze, and he grinned at her, though his eyes squinted slightly in deep annoyance when Arlo began to bark again.

"You think Joey will know what we did?" Willow asked him before he could stand.

"Not unless a certain little _pet _tells him about it."

Arlo's barking volume increased, and Willow grinned. "You mean Arlo?"

Joker rolled his eyes as he let out a heavy breath. "_No._"

He finally stood up, and Willow was left to do the same as she grinned, and after she collected her clothes, she knew Joker would leave her with the task of letting Arlo in.

–

The rest of the evening passed quickly, and once Joker got in the shower around ten thirty, Willow had gone through her usual bed-time routine before she pulled back the white comforter to climb into her side of the bed. As she laid in the dim lighting, she listened to the shower run, her mind idly picturing Joker inside of it, and somewhere in between imagining the water running down Joker's muscles and his dripping wet hair, Willow had grown incredibly tired and had started to doze off. But it seemed just seconds later Willow's body jerked when she felt movement behind her. As her fuzzy mind commanded her to glance over, she realized it was Joker getting into bed, and she had to wonder if she had fallen asleep at all. Joker's body was damp and cold next to hers as he relaxed into the bed on his back. The room was pitch black now, the thick blanket over the window blocking out the moonlight perfectly, and Willow's eyes started to slide closed again once she had turned back around, her back facing Joker. The room was silent, and Willow felt herself just about to doze off again when Joker's clowny voice suddenly broke through the silence.

"You know," he began, his eyes still open as he stared up at the ceiling. "I'm starting to think that doing something tomorrow night isn't such a bad idea."

Willow opened her eyes as her eyebrows furrowed. Previously in the kitchen, Willow had thought Joker was only kidding when he suggested that they actually celebrate on Halloween, and she had to wonder if he was kidding now.

"Really?" Her small voice asked a moment later.

"Yeah," Joker replied, his mind running over the plans he had thought of earlier. "Way I see it, there's nothing wrong with a little bit of holiday cheer, candy... and _murder_."

A chill ran up Willow's spine, but she knew this was silly, seeing as how she knew Joker's plans always involved death of some sort. "Would we wear costumes?" She asked, and Joker couldn't help but to grin at the hope in her voice.

"Oh, I wouldn't have it _any _other way," he said, his mind instantly picturing Willow's decorations on the wall downstairs. "Whatya' say, kiddo? You in for some tricks and _treats_?"

"Of course," Willow replied, a sleepy but happy tone laced throughout her voice. "But... what are we going to do?"

"That's for me to know," Joker replied as he finally closed his eyes. "And _you _to find out."

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**Please leave me a review! You can expect the second chapter tomorrow on Halloween, and hopefully the third chapter a few hours later on the same day. Have a pleasant evening! :)  
**


	2. Chapter 2

"He's parking the car... and now he's reaching behind the seat for a... a _bag_? Oh wait, no... a _Halloween City _bag!" Joey's lips thinned as he pushed himself away from the entrance hall window that looked out toward the driveway, and he turned to Willow with an unamused expression. She slowly turned to face him, her body still leaning in close to the window next to Joey, and she tried hard not to grin. But regardless of her efforts, a small, all-knowing smile broke through, and Joey sighed loudly as he rolled his eyes. "_Willow!_" He began. "You told me he wasn't seriously planning anything, girl. You lied."

"I didn't _lie_," Willow argued. "I..." she glanced out of the window in unison with Joey, and they both watched for a silent minute as Joker closed the door to his Tahoe, the giant bag clutched in his hand, and made his way over toward the front door. She turned to Joey. "...didn't want to ruin the surprise."

Joey rolled his eyes again as he turned away from the window start toward the living room. All day long Willow had been acting especially weird; an excited smile never left her lips, every time she turned to Joker he'd wink at her before her smile expanded, and she appeared to be impatient all day, and had even gone as far to adopt Joker's characteristic knee bounce. Ever since Joker had left an hour prior to now, Joey knew Willow was trying especially hard to avoid any sort of conversation with him, and he caught her staring at her stupid wall decorations with a cocked eyebrow more than he'd like to admit. He asked her constantly while Joker was gone what he was doing or what was going on, but Willow always answered with 'nothing'. When he double checked with her that Joker was only kidding about celebrating Halloween, she would assure him he was before excusing herself out of the room, only to return, bored, a few minutes later. Joey knew _something _was up, though at the same time he knew he was foolish to believe that Joker wasn't out, running some Halloween related errand.

Willow was still smiling, and Joker was greeted with her wide smile when he finally stepped into the house. He nodded at Willow with a grin before he let the screen door close behind him, and he immediately started toward the living room, Willow right on his heel. Joey had been sitting on the couch, his body slouched back while he rested his muscular arms on top of the couch on either side of him, and when he heard Joker's footsteps he had turned to glance over his shoulder at him. Joker opened his mouth to speak, but Joey cut him off and beat him to it.

"I want nothing to do with what's in that bag man, you dig?"

"You know," Joker began as he set the plastic bag down on the clean and organized kitchen table. "It's _adorable _how you think you run and operate things around here."

"I _do_," Joey retorted. "My house, my rules."

"Not when you live on Joker Street!" Joker replied loudly as he turned to the bag. Joey let out a snort of laughter as he kept his eyes focused on the movie on the TV.

"Since when did my neighborhood become _Joker Street?_"

"Since I moved in," Joker said as he opened the bag. Willow had stepped up behind him, and she peered around his shoulder, trying to see in the bag, but when Joker felt her presence he quickly brought the opening of the bag back together and reached his arm behind him to push her behind him further. "Ah, ah," he said to her. "It's a _surprise_."

Joey rolled his eyes, trying to focus his attention on the TV as Joker rummaged around in the bag. Joker could _try _to make Joey do what he wanted, but Joey was stern in his Halloween traditions, or, lack thereof, and nothing Joker said or did would change that. Joey listened now as the rustling of the bag ceased, Joker's footsteps replacing the noise, and before he knew it he felt something being lowered onto his head. Joey immediately took his arms back and leaned away from the couch just before he took hold of the object on his head, and he frowned as he stared at it before turning around to stare at Joker.

"Really? Fucking _really_?" He asked loudly as he shook the object in his hand. Willow stepped over to the couch to see what Joey was fussing about, and she grinned when her eyes fell on a headband containing the cut off top of a pumpkin, complete with the stem, in his hand. She let out a small series of giggles before she backed away from the couch, and the grin on Joker's face only made Joey more annoyed. "You think I'm going to wear this?"

"I don't _think_, I _know_," Joker replied. "You're going as a Jack O' Lantern!"

"The only place I'm going tonight is my club, Jack," Joey said as he turned around to face the TV again, and he tossed the headband back toward Joker, who caught it swiftly in his hands.

"_Love _to be bearer of bad news, _Joseph_, but you're all ours for the night," Joker said. This caught Joey's attention, and with a huff he reached out to mute the TV before he turned back around to look up at Joker, who was busy fixing the spring-like vines on the headband.

"What does that mean?"

"It means Line of Jewels is closed for the night!" Joker boasted as his gaze dropped down to meet Joey's stare. "No strippers, no customers, and no _manager_."

Joey stood from the couch finally. "My club is _not _closed," Joey said. "I never arranged that!"

"But _I _did," Joker replied. Behind him, Willow let out a sigh as she entered the kitchen, and she immediately stepped up to the fridge to get a drink. "The girls were _more_ than willing to take the night off when I told them the story about _Isaac_, the evil demon spirit that comes around the club every other Halloween to gain his vengeance on-"

"Wait, wait, wait," Joey interrupted as he held up his hand while rounding the couch to stand in front of Joker. "You're telling me you got my girls to take the night off because of a _ghost _story?"

"A ghost story... _and _a few threats here and there," Joker added with a casual shrug, and Willow couldn't help but to grin and shake her head as she took a sip of apple juice from her glass.

"_Jack_!" Joey's voice echoed throughout his house. "When did you do this?"

"That's not important," Joker replied. "But _now_," he took a step forward to place the headband back on Joey's head, and this time around Joey could only stand there with a frustrated look of defeat on his face. "Willow and I get to take you _trick or treating_! Isn't that _exciting _Joseph?"

"No, _Jack_," Joey replied as he took the headband from his head again before stepping past Joker to slam it down on the table. "I'm a grown man. I'm not about to go _trick or treating_, you fucking serious?"

"But don't you want to take back the childhood tradition that was _robbed _from you?"

"Nope," Joey answered as he turned to start toward the stairs. All he wanted at this point was to shut himself away from Joker, his plans, and the thought of his club being closed for the night.

"Aw, yes you do," Joker said as he watched Joey walk away from him. "You don't have to be embarrassed, Joseph," he went on in that loud, clowny, amused voice. "You don't have to go as a Jack O' Lantern! Although your bald-ass head _does _resemble a pumpkin..."

Willow let out a laugh as Joey rolled his eyes once he started up the stairs. "Fuck off, Jack. All I wanna do now is watch movies and enjoy my night off, thanks to you."

Joker was silent as Joey finished climbing the stairs, and once he had shut his bedroom door Joker finally turned away. "Well see," he said to himself. Unable to tell if Joker was angry or not, Willow stayed standing behind the breakfast bar, her cup of apple juice still in her hand, and watched as Joker opened up the bag again. "Oh, Willow dearest," he said now, his tone upbeat and happy, and Willow let out a sigh of relief as she moved out of the kitchen to step up next to Joker at the table. He was busy digging in the bag again, so as she waited Willow finished her apple juice, and just as she set it on the table, Joker pulled out some sort of thick material with one hand while the other held a large witch's hat. Willow watched as he let the fabric fall open in his hands, and a wide smile spread onto her lips when he placed the hat on her head. She reached up to adjust it, and she held still a second later as Joker turned the rest of the costume around to hold it against her. His eyes wandered down slowly, imaging her in it, and his own grin widened. "You are going to make an _excellent _witch."

Willow's smile widened when he handed her the dress, and she turned it around to look over it. Black fringe separated darker black squares from lighter ones all over the dress, and the sleeves hung down past the bottom of the dress, which ended just an inch higher than mid-thigh. Her eyes wandered up the ruffly sleeves to the neck of the dress, and she lifted her eyes to Joker, only to quickly revert them away to stare at the Halloween directions behind him. Her smile faded into a sly grin, and she met Joker's gaze.

"I can see where you got your inspiration," she said, watching as Joker glanced over his shoulder to the decorations as if to confirm this.

"Ah," he said as he turned around. "But in this case... _you _are not going to be _revolting_... and Joey..." he glanced away to stare at the decorations for a moment before blinking and looking back at Willow. "Won't be as... sinister-looking."

"So you're going to be..." Willow paused, her eyes finding the evil clown decoration, and she stopped herself from finishing her original thought. "...yourself?" Seeing as how Joker could already be considered an evil clown, Willow knew this would have been stupid to ask.

"Yes indeedy-do!" Joker boasted as he turned away from her to reach into the bag again. Willow's eyebrows furrowed.

"But..."

"Don't worry, love," Joker went on as he turned around, a knife in his hand suddenly. "It's all part of the _plan_." Willow was staring at the knife, and she watched as Joker placed the tip of his pointer finger on the tip of the knife, and he effortlessly bent the plastic blade back. That smile returned to Willow's lips and touched her eyes. "Now," Joker went on as he turned to the bag one last time to pull out two square compacts of orange and black greasepaint, and once he faced Willow he reached out to take her wrist. Her palm facing up, he placed the make-up in her hand before glancing back up to stare into her green eyes. "Take those into the bathroom, and at seven o'clock we prepare ourselves."

"For what?"

"Our Halloween _celebration_!"

–

Willow found herself wandering aimlessly around the house, completely eager and bored, for hours as she waited for seven o' clock to come along. Eventually, Joker had shut himself away in the bathroom, and somewhere in the middle while watching TV, Joey had come out of his room and joined her in the living room. Willow kept her mouth shut as Joey stole the remote to play one of his recorded Halloween movies, figuring Joker would appreciate it if Willow didn't do anything to worsen Joey's already hostile attitude toward his unknown plans. Willow was too curious anyway to see how Joey would look with that orange and black face paint, and she wasn't about to do anything to ruin her chances of seeing it, or doing anything to ruin what was supposed to be a perfect and fun night.

A good half hour into the movie, Joker had emerged from the bathroom, and Willow grew slightly shocked to see he had re-dyed his hair. Having just showered, his damp and drying hair waved and curled its way down past his ears, the strands a vibrant green color, and Willow didn't realize she was staring at him until he gave her an odd look as he stepped into the living room.

"It's nothing you haven't seen _before_," he stated as he plopped down onto the couch next to her. Joey glanced over to him, his face flat, before he glanced back to the TV.

"I know, it's just... not in a while," Willow replied.

"_Shh_," Joey told them both, his eyes still fixed on the TV. Joker ignored him.

"Can't dress up as the _Clown Prince of Crime_ without the green hair."

Joey turned up the volume on the TV.

"No, I guess not," Willow agreed with a smile.

"What?" Joker asked, his voice level slightly louder.

"I said I guess not," Willow replied in the same tone level. Joker could easily hear her, but there was never anything wrong with getting under his friend's skin.

"_What?_" He repeated louder, smirking when Joey turned the TV up more.

"I guess not!" Willow shouted.

"Shut the hell up!" Joey yelled finally, and when Joker and Willow glanced over at him they saw his eyes were wide. "I'm trying to watch this."

"And _I'm_ trying to have a conversation," Joker defended in the same tone of voice. Joey looked unamused.

"Can't you take it somewhere else?"

"No, Joseph, I cannot. Can _you _go watch that movie somewhere else?" Joker asked, cocking his head to the side.

"No, _Jack_, I really can't."

"Well then," Joker said as a grin slid onto his lips. "It seems we have reached an impasse."

"Fuck you," Joey mumbled as he turned back to the TV. Joker continued staring at him for a moment longer until he clicked his tongue on the rough of his mouth, and he leaned over slightly as he lifted a finger to point at Joey.

"Tell you what," Joker said, waiting until Joey looked over at him after he had lowered the volume. "If we shut up and watch this God _awful _movie with you, _you _gotta come out with _us_."

Joey rolled his eyes as he turned back to the movie. "I'll _drive you_."

Joker thinned his lips as he thought this over. "Okay," he agreed a moment later. "In your costume."

"No," Joey argued as he glanced back over at Joker. "In what I'm fucking wearing now."

"Yes, with your face paint and headband," Joker pressed on.

"Jack, I am not wearing that stupid thing on my head."

"So you'll wear the face-paint?"

"_No_!"

Willow jumped slightly at Joey's shouting voice, and she sighed as she sunk down further into the couch. Why couldn't Joey realize he was going to lose this battle?

"Joseph, brother, I'll give you a _choice_ here," Joker started as he leaned over further. "Either you wear the damn costume, or I'll make sure your girls never return to your precious club again. And on top of that, I'll kill your dog, too." Joker grew quiet for a second as he watched Arlo come happily trotting into the living room right up to Joey, and he jumped onto the couch, Joey petting his head a second later as he glared at Joker.

"You wouldn't do that."

"Wouldn't I?" Joker challenged. "Your club has been _kind _to me over the years, but your actions will directly affect your immediate future. Plus, I _hate _your dog."

Joey grinned suddenly as he let out a small laugh, and he shook his head as he turned back to the TV. "You're like a child, doing everything in your power to get your way."

"And _you're _like a child because you can't go out of your way to sacrifice your tradition for _one _night. All I'm doing is negotiating with you, Joseph. Like an _adult_."

Joey frowned now as he looked over to Joker. "You touch my club _or _my girls or my dog and I'll kill you, you feel me?"

"You wear the costume and do what I say, and we'll all live to see another day, you feel _me_?" Joker repeated, his eyes widening slightly. They both glared at each other for a long minute, and right when Willow expected Joey to argue some more, he sighed.

"Fine," he mumbled. "But I am _not _wearing that headband."

Joker merely grinned as he leaned back into the couch, and he lifted his arm to wrap around Willow's shoulders. A grin found her lips, and she allowed herself to scoot closer to Joker and lean her body against his as she watched Joey's hand move back and forth over Arlo's short fur. Joey glanced over to Joker, his face stern, but when he saw Joker's gaze was fixed on the TV, he figured Joker had heard him, and he turned back to TV to try and enjoy the rest of his movie.

After another hour had gone by, Willow was fed up with waiting. Eventually, Joker's crude comments about the movie and Joey's constant begging of him to 'please shut the fuck up' grew too annoying for Willow, and she excused herself from the living room a good ten to fifteen minutes before the movie's end. She jogged upstairs and immediately stepped into the guestroom before heading over to the unmade bed where she had left her costume laying out neatly. A new white box sat on the floor at the front of the foot of the bed, and upon bending down and opening it, a smile found her lips as she stared at a pair of shiny, nearly knee-high black boots. She bit her lip in excitement as she took out the boots to place on the bed before grabbing her witch's dress to start changing into.

Once it was on and her boots were tied, she grabbed her hat and headed into the bathroom to see how it actually looked on her. She snapped on the light and stood as far back from the mirror as she possibly could, and she instantly smiled as her eyes wandered all over the costume. The dress ended just above mid thigh, like she had predicted, and her smile widened as she lifted her arms on either side of her body to watch as the long sleeves swayed slightly as they hung down past the bottom of her dress. After she spent a few extra minutes darkening her make-up, she picked up the hat and placed it on her head, only to make a face a second later before removing the hat so she could fix her hair. She wished Joker would have given her a heads up on her costume; she would have done something more creative her somewhat shaggy, straight hair.

But fortunately, after playing with the look for a few more minutes, she discovered side-swept bangs looked great under the hat, and with that same, wide, goofy smile, she stepped out of the bathroom to go show Joker and Joey.

As she made her way down the stairs, she heard Joker and even Joey laughing about something as a woman's screams erupted on TV, but once Joker heard Willow's boots heading his way, he glanced over, his laughter instantly ceasing as his eyes wandered all over Willow.

"Damn girl," Joey started, having turned around as well. "That looks..." he paused, the words unable to come to his mouth, but the longer he stared at her, the more his thoughts started to form an interesting idea involving his club...

"Do I know how to pick out a costume, or _what_?" Joker bragged as he leaned back into the couch. Joey rolled his eyes as he glanced away from Willow.

"Hers maybe. What the fuck you going as?"

"An evil clown, Joseph," Joker answered as he pointed a lose finger behind him at the wall decorations. Joey's eyes followed his pointing, and he sighed a second later as he reverted his gaze back to Joker.

"You're going as yourself?"

"It's the ultimate _trick_, Joseph, before I deliver the _treat,_" Joker said excitedly as he leaned forward again, and he clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth. "Look, see- kids and their _parents _will instantly feel that sense of fear once they see me, but their logic will refuse to let their feelings win. 'That _can't _be the Joker. He wouldn't just be _walking _around like that_.'" _Joker mimicked the parents with a grin.

"So, what's going to keep anyone from freaking out? How you gonna make your usual attire look like a costume?"

"In a few ways," Joker answered. "One of _witch _we're about to do." Joker grinned slyly as he turned to look at Willow, and her smile widened while Joey rolled his eyes at Joker's awful pun. "Willow dearest, won't you accompany me into the bathroom?"

Willow merely nodded before she started to turn around right when Joker stood from the couch, and he walked a few paces behind her as she made her way to the stairs. But as Willow started to climb them, Joker took them two steps at a time, instantly catching up with her, and he kept his eyes on her ass as her hips swayed side to side. He licked his lips, deciding he loved Willow in that costume a little _too _much.

Once she had entered the bathroom, she turned the light on again before turning around to glance over at Joker. He walked past the bathroom, however, and she listened as he entered their bedroom. But before Willow's curiosity could heighten to force her into peering into the bedroom, Joker was already back in the bathroom, and Willow's eyes instantly wandered down to his hand where he held his circular compacts of white, red, and black greasepaint. Her eyes widened slightly as she looked back up to his face as he set them on the counter.

"You're going to put that on now?" She asked, bewildered over the fact she was actually about to see Joker put on his traditional makeup. She had always wondered...

"Nope," Joker answered as he moved around her to sit on the closed toilet lid, and once he sat down, he glanced up at her. "_You _are."

"What?" Willow's eyes went wide. "..._why_?"

"Because this way it will_ look_ as though I'm incapable of copying the _'real_' Joker's makeup," Joker held his hands up to do quotes around his chosen word. "If you do it, it only helps to convince people it's a costume. They won't be able to place their finger on it, but they'll know _something's _off, thus making their logical minds fight to dominate even more."

Willow was staring at him, but fortunately she didn't have to say anything to this, for Joey's voice in the doorway startled her slightly, and when she glanced over she saw he was leaning on the door frame, one arm extended high over his head.

"What's to stop people from thinking you just did your stupid face paint differently?"

"_No one _in this town is that smart, Joseph. _No one_." Joker reached up and snapped his fingers in Willow's face, and once he had her attention, he pointed at the greasepaint compacts. "It's not gonna apply itself."

Willow instantly moved to slide over the containers, and she hesitated as she debated with which one to open first.

"I'm going to prove it to you, too," Joker went on when Joey had grown silent. "It'll work, and when it does, we'll move on to the _highlight _of our night. And if it doesn't, then I guess we can't say we didn't try."

Joey rolled his eyes before he turned to start toward his bedroom, and Willow glanced down to Joker when he looked at her. "I don't know what I'm doing. What do I _use_?" she asked.

Joker sighed, but it wasn't out of frustration, and a shock ran up Willow's spine when she felt Joker slide both of his bare hands onto her hips. He forced her to face him, and he moved her body in front of his before forcing her to straddle his lap. As Willow's heart raced, Joker licked his lips as he reached out to take off her hat, and he placed it on the counter on the other side of the sink before he glanced back over to Willow, his hands on her hips again.

"You use your finger," he finally answered moments later. "In this case make it look messy, in a very _clean _way."

For some reason or another, Willow totally understood what Joker meant, and with a deep breath she finally reached out to slide over the white paint container. She opened the lid and stared into the previously used paint, and she hesitated before dipping her finger into the thick cream. Joker noticed her hesitation and he sighed again.

"It's not like I can't get more, Willow," he said. "Just do it!"

Willow nodded to herself as she finally stuck her finger into the paint, and she glanced back at Joker before taking her finger from the container. She touched her finger to his face and moved it down his cheek, and she took her finger back to stare at the white line for a moment until she realized Joker was glaring at her. He removed his hand from her hip to take hold of her hand, and once he flattened her fingers out, he held it in place and moved all four of her fingers over the white line she had made, her fingers widening the line and smearing it around the edges. "Like _that_," Joker said simply before he let go of her hand. He closed his mouth and thinned his lips before closing his eyes, waiting for her to go on, and with a swallow Willow dipped her finger into the container before following Joker's instructions.

Before long all of the white had been applied, and as she rubbed the white paint from her fingers with a towel, she stared at Joker's face, hoping he wouldn't open his eyes. He looked odd with just the white paint without the black rings and red smile, and just when her eyes had finished roaming all over his face, he opened his eyes to stare at her. But once he rolled them over to the right to watch as she picked up the black container, he closed them again. She opened the lid and instantly dipped her pointer finger in, and once she had a reasonable amount of paint on it, she touched the cold paint to Joker's face and drew an oblong circle around his eye. Joker instantly made a slightly cringing face.

"That feels... big. _Huge _actually," Joker said as he opened his eyes to stare at her. Willow glanced up from the paint to look at the circle she had just outlined, and she narrowed her eyes.

"It's the same size you do it, just more circular," she argued. "Close your eyes."

Joker raised his eyebrows as he stared deeply into her eyes, and he smirked slightly before he started to slide his eyes closed. "Yes _ma'am_."

Willow grinned slightly as she touched her finger to his closed eyelid, and she smeared the black around the inside of the circle outline. Once it was finished, she politely commanded him to open his eyes, and he stared at her as she scrutinized her work. A moment later she reached out to fix some of the paint on his eyebrow, and Joker smirked again as she dipped her finger in the paint to start on the other eye.

"You're being awfully _artistic _about this," he commented, watching as Willow brought her finger back when she realized he wasn't ready to close his eyes again.

"I'm just trying to do a good job," she defended in a small voice.

"What do you think will happen if you don't?" Joker asked her. Willow stared at him with a frown and shrugged a moment later.

"I dunno," she mumbled. "You'll hurt me." She had meant to say this in more of a joking tone, but it came out sounding more serious and anxious than she had meant. Joker, however, enjoyed this answer, and she felt him tighten his grasp on her hips.

"Ah," he said. "I've trained you well." He finally closed his eyes. Willow took in a deep breath but couldn't help but to grin as she leaned in to outline the other eye.

Before she knew it, his eyes were finished. Large, oblong but nearly perfect circles covered his eyes, and while so far he still looked like Joker, he had been correct in predicting something looked off about him. Joker's plan of having Willow do his makeup was genius, for it looked as though he had been unable of doing the make up in a perfect '_Joker style_' manner. What felt odd, however, was Willow using the real, actual makeup _he _used when he was planning on going out, and putting it on in such a way that suggested humor and inability to do it correctly. Willow had been so lost in her thoughts she hadn't realized that she had already opened and dipped her finger into the red paint container, and only after she lifted her eyes back to Joker's face to find him glaring at her did she realize what was happening. She paused, her eyes dropping down to Joker's lips, and her own lips parted a moment later when her eyes returned to his.

"How do I do this?" She asked in a quiet voice.

Joker shrugged. "Ya just put it on," he said. "It's not rocket science, kiddo."

Joker chuckled when Willow frowned at this, and as she finally brought her finger closer to his face, he kept his eyes open. She could feel him staring at her as she concentrated with moving her finger along his face, remembering where the red usually covered his face, and a strong shock ran up her spine when her finger moved over his right, curved scar. The skin was jagged and raised, and another shock ran up her spine when her finger dropped off the scar and moved onto his bottom lip. She took back her finger and began to feel slightly lightheaded upon realizing she had never actually felt Joker's lips with her fingers, though he had done it a million times to her. She lifted her eyes to look into his, and he smirked at her before his tongue flickered out over his lips. She waited for him to speak, but he didn't say anything as he waited for her to finish. Finally, Willow got more paint on her finger before she moved it down the left side of Joker's face, and she held her breath as her finger wandered over the scar there. A stronger shock ran up her back and stung her neck, however, when her finger moved onto his bottom lip again. She smeared the red paint over it until it met with the other side, and she avoided Joker's eye contact as she took just a little more on her finger to finish with covering his lips and some of the area in between them and his nose. She leaned back a second later, and took both of her hands to either side of his face to further smear the red. Once it was finished, she felt Joker tighten his hold on her hips, and her eyes dropped down to his own.

"How's it look?" He asked her as he licked his lips again, and a staggered breath escaped past her as he ran his hand up the side of her body.

"Fine," she finally answered as his fingers wandered over her neck and onto her face, and she felt herself leaning in closer to him just as his hand reached her face. He smirked slightly again before he gently pressed his thumb against her bottom lip, and he parted her lips before he closed the distance between them to gently touch his lips to hers. Willow's desperately wanted to reach out and clutch his shirt sleeves, but because of the paint on her fingers she forced her hands to stay raised slightly on either side of him as she kissed him back. When Joker pressed his lips against hers harder, Willow let out a soft moan when she felt Joker's tongue trace the contour of her upper lip, but before she could respond with her own tongue, Joker was pulling away, leaving Willow to finally opened her eyes to see he was grinning at her.

"Joey's turn," was all Joker said, and before Willow could do anything else Joker was suddenly moving her body off of his to stand up and start toward the open bathroom door. "_Oh Jo-eeeey!_"

Willow grinned as she shook her head to herself, and she stepped up to the sink to wash Joker's paint from her hands. The long process of retrieving Joey gave Willow enough time to open both packages of orange and black greasepaint, and just after she had set down the black and opened the container of orange, Joker gently shoved Joey into the bathroom.

"Ah, ah, Joseph," Joker was saying as he continued to push Joey into the bathroom past Willow. "You agreed you'd wear the costume."

"It's hardly a costume, Jack," Joey was arguing. "This is stupid, I'm just driving your happy ass around, I don't need to wear any pa—"

"S_it_," Joker commanded as he forced Joey to sit down on the closed toilet lid, and Joey let out an annoyed breath as he lifted his eyes to glare into Joker's. "And let Willow work her magic."

"Magic?" Joey repeated, making a face as Joker turned away from him to start toward the door. "You call what's on your face _magic_? That red makes it look like you just got your damn red wings."

Willow's face reddened as she tried to hold back her laughter, and in the corner of her eye she could see Joker turn to look at Joey as he leaned back to get a better view of him.

"That happened a while ago, Joseph," Joker replied with a grin, and it expanded when Joey's sour face turned into a pure look of disgust. "I'll uh, let you _muse _over that while you get your face painted."

"_Dude_..." was all Joey could manage to say as he looked away from Joker just as Willow stepped up to him, and she waited for him to cooperate as she stared at the profile of his face. A moment later, Joey finally faced forward, and a look of realization overcame his face once his eyes found Willow.

"It was with you, wasn't it?" He asked, slight horror mixed in the tone of his voice, and Willow heavily rolled her eyes. "In _my _guestroom, huh?"

"_Stop_," she mumbled harshly. "That's disgusting," she added a bit louder over Joker's laughter. She wished someone would have told her a while ago that living with two men –immature _boys, _rather– would not be easy.

"You're lying," Joey went on as he looked down, and he closed his eyes as he shook his head. Willow sighed as she leaned up, and she turned her head to stare at Joker. He instantly recognized the look on her face, and he cleared his throat as he tried to stop laughing.

"Alright, really Joseph, let her paint your face. This talk is too mature and _embarrassing _for the child."

"Who you calling a child?" Willow mumbled, amused, to herself, and without thinking she reached out to turn Joey's head so he was facing her. He responded immediately by trying to free himself from her grasp, but she tightened her grip and glared into his eyes. "Hold still," she commanded, her tone slightly annoyed. Joker laughed from beside her.

"I've taught her well," he said, and Joey rolled his eyes as Joker leaned against the counter and crossed his arms.

"Mhmm," Joey mumbled. "You gonna slit my throat if I don't cooperate?" Joey glanced up at Willow as she picked up the orange container.

"I might," she offered as she stuck four fingers into the paint, and before Joey could say another word she immediately touched her fingers to his face. He let out an annoyed breath and closed his eyes at the cold paint, and he sucked in a breath through his nose as he felt her smear the paint down his cheek.

"This is ridiculous."

"This is _fun_," Joker corrected him, though his tone suggested the opposite. "You're such a baby, Joseph."

"I'm missing Criss Angle right now."

"The world will go on."

"He was gonna teach his viewers how to levitate through the TV."

"Joey?" Joker asked.

"What?"

"_I'm _gonna slit your throat if you don't shut up."

"_Please_," Joey went on anyway. "I'm begging you. At least it'll get me out of this."

Joker and Willow both rolled their eyes in unison as she continued with the orange paint, and fortunately, before she knew it, she had done an acceptable enough job. Joey stared ahead at the shower curtain while Willow closed the orange container and opened the black, and she picked up the brush-like sponge that came with the paint and immediately moved it around in the black paint.

"Now hold still," Willow said as she leaned in closer to him. "I want this to look good."

Joey rolled his eyes again before he finally shut them, and Joker watched as Willow started to outline a triangle around Joey's left eye. When it was finished and when Willow leaned back to admire the work, Joker thinned his lips and nodded silently in approval to himself before Willow leaned back in to fill in the shape with the black paint. A few moments later, after the other triangle was finished, she frowned as she looked over to Joker.

"I don't know how I'm gonna do the mouth."

Joker shrugged. "_Wing _it," he said, and he let out a laugh when Joey's eyes snapped open before he turned to glare at him. Without a word Joker leaned off the counter and started out of the door, and Willow let out a sigh as she listened to Joker's laughter fade away as he descended the stairs.

"Unbelievable," Joey mumbled as he closed his eyes again, though there was no need.

"You brought it up," Willow pointed out.

"So? He's the one who can't tell when enough is enough."

_Well duh_, Willow felt like telling him, but instead she forced herself to take a deep breath. This night was supposed to be fun. And it was, so far. It would be silly to let slight annoyance ruin her night, and she knew that once Joey let loose and did what Joker told him to, sooner or later he'd be thanking Joker for the great time, and Willow for the wonderful face-paint job.

"You know, your costume gave me a pretty good idea," Joey said just before Willow could start on his mouth, and she leaned away when he opened his eyes, waiting for her to respond. "Humor me for a minute then I'll let you finish. You'll like the idea."

"Okay, what is it?" Willow asked as she straightened her body before leaning against the counter, and she watched as Joey placed his ankle on his knee before turning to her, his hands already held out in front of him for emphasis.

"You know I've never been a fan of Halloween, so Halloween shit never touched the club, you follow?" He paused, and after Willow nodded he went on. "Your costume gave me the idea... I'm wondering if it wouldn't be such a bad idea _to _introduce a Halloween theme to Line. I'm not talking decorations and gay shit, but like, sexy costumes, that rip and tear easy, you feel me?" He grinned as a small look of realization overcame Willow's face.

"For the strippers?" She confirmed, and Joey instantly nodded.

"Yeah! What'ya think?"

"I think it's a great idea," Willow beamed with a smile. "Too bad we can't tonight."

"We got Jack to thank for that one, _but_," he paused as he held up a finger. "Maybe it could be something that spans over a few days sorta thing? Or a week?"

"Or just make it last all October. That's more fun."

"I _like _it," Joey agreed. "I'm _doing_ it. Okay, you can finish now." He faced forward again and instantly closed his eyes, and Willow raised hers to look at the ceiling as a wide grin spread onto her lips.

–

A good twenty minutes later, Willow had finally gotten Joey's makeup to look acceptable enough for her tastes. As she leaned away from him, her eyes wandering over his face, she admired how nearly perfect the triangles over his eyes were, and how well the Jack O' Lantern-like mouth had turned out. Joey sat in front of her, a frown on his face as he stared at the floor, and Willow grinned as she finally leaned all the way up. "Done."

"Finally," Joey mumbled as he stood up, immediately turning his body to face the mirror. He paused when he laid eyes on his reflection, and he couldn't help the grin that slid onto his lips. "Hey," he started. "That's not too bad."

"See?" Willow encouraged as she closed Joey's makeup containers before she collected Joker's to put away in the room. "You are having fun."

"I never said that, I said the makeup was good," Joey argued as he followed Willow out of the bathroom. She proceeded into her and Joker's room, and after she had put Joker's greasepaint away, she saw that Joey had retreated to his own room, and with a small shrug to herself she started down the stairs to go find Joker.

He was sitting at the table, a large, white bowl next to him, and she noticed his shoulders were shrugged up as he concentrated on something. She thought nothing of it, however, as she approached Joker, finally realizing that he had changed into his usual purple and green attire, his large trench coat hanging on the chair in which he sat. When Willow finally approached the table, she did not comprehend what was in Joker's hand or what he was doing; all she saw was the large bowl of candy, and she immediately started to move her hand into the bowl to grab a piece. Joker had predicted her actions, however, and he was quick to swat her hand away before her fingers could touch any of the pieces.

"Ah, ah," Joker said simply. Willow frowned.

"Why?"

"Because these are for the _children_," Joker answered, letting out a low, demonic chuckle a second after, and because of that laugh, Willow instantly knew Joker was up to something. Willow's eyebrows furrowed as she moved to see what Joker was doing. She watched as he took out a piece of chocolate wrapped candy from the bag in which he had purchased with his latex glove covered hand, and she swallowed when he gently pushed the very thin needle of a syringe through the wrapper toward the center before injecting the candy with something. After, he removed the needle, tossed the candy into the bowl, and filled the syringe with more of the liquid that was in a bottle next to him.

"You're going to poison the kids?" She asked in a low voice.

"Yes indeedy-do!" Joker answered brightly as he reached in the bag for another piece.

"With what? Was is that?" She asked as she leaned in closer slightly.

"Lye," Joker answered as he injected another chocolate piece. "It's a corrosive." He didn't offer anything more, deciding it would be better to let Willow fill in the blanks, and a moment later he grinned when she suddenly moved away from the table. A few seconds later, after Joker had finished with the piece, he heard Joey coming downstairs, and his grin widened as Joey made his way toward the kitchen. "Hey Joey, you want some candy?"

Joey looked at Joker's hunched back before he glanced at Willow, and he cocked an eyebrow when she gravely shook her head, her face stern. "No... thanks?"

"But's it's _chocolate_," Joker persuaded further. "A woman's _favorite _candy."

"Fuck you," Joey said as he stepped up to the table, and he watched for a minute as Joker proceeded with injecting a piece before his eyes found the small bottle of lye. "Lye, man, really? That shit better not be getting my table. And I'll have to throw that bowl away too now, thanks."

"Any time," Joker responded happily, and Willow shook her head as Joey proceeded into the kitchen. "It's seven thirty, bro, when we going?"

"In one second," Joker answered slowly as he finished with the last piece, and once he placed it in the bowl, he threw out the syringe in the garbage next to him, closed the lye, and took off his gloves. He stood from the table and glanced over at Joey. "Hey, Willow didn't do too bad," he offered as he picked up the bowl. Joey frowned as he stared at him, and he instantly started to shake his head when Joker grinned.

"I'm not wearing the headband." Joey could read Joker's thoughts.

"Oh, you _are_," Joker said. "Even if that means I gotta staple it to your head."

"You can try," Joey offered.

"Is that a _challenge_?" Joker asked, his eyebrows raising, and Willow instantly stepped up to the breakfast bar in the middle of them.

"C'mon, let's go," she said, glancing at Joey then to Joker with eager eyes. He smiled at her, but when he looked up to Joey the smile faded as he pointed a finger at him with his free hand.

"You got lucky," was all he said before he and Willow started toward the garage door.

* * *

**Hope you're enjoying the story! Have a fun Halloween, everyone! Scare the shit outta someone!**


	3. Chapter 3

Once Joker and Joey had put on their coats, and after Willow had grabbed her hat, the three ventured to the garage. While Joey pulled out his Camaro, Joker set the bowl of dangerously tainted candy on the front porch, adjusted the homemade sign that read 'Take One Please!' and finally turned to get into the passenger side of the car. Joey had seen the sign Joker had made, and he rolled his eyes as he backed the car down his long driveway, the garage door closing as he did, and he turned around in the street before correcting the wheel and accelerating out of the neighborhood.

"Where are we going?" Joey asked as he kept his eyes focused on the road, his headlights illuminating the street brightly, but he received no answer from Joker. In the back seat, Willow remained quiet as she watched Joker reach his arm back, and he waggled his fingers as he waited. Willow knew what he wanted, and with a snide grin she reached down by her feet to pick up Joey's headband Joker had inconspicuously thrown in the backseat as he got into the car.

Joey quickly glanced over at Joker, still waiting for that answer, but just as he glanced back to the road he felt something be lowered quickly onto his head. He instantly jerked his body forward before reaching up with his left hand to take off what was on his head, and he growled as he stared at the pumpkin top headband.

"_Jack!_" He shouted. "I'm _not _wearing this!"

"But it's part of your _costume_," Joker stated as he stared at them.

"You got me to come out with you, I'm wearing the stupid face-paint, and because of all this I'm missing my Criss Angel marathon. You're fucking _pushing it _thinking I'm actually going to wear the headband. Knock that shit off, you feel me?"

"Jeeze, Joey, stick a tampon in it and knock it off yourself," Joker retorted. "You're lucky I don't kill you-"

"Stop," Willow suddenly spoke up from the backseat. "Can we not do this tonight? Please?"

"Do what? I'm just trying to hold a conversation-"

"No," Willow interrupted Joker bravely, and she swallowed when Joker turned around in his seat to stare at her. "Y-your threatening him. Let's just have fun, okay?"

"Hmm," was all Joker said before he turned around in his seat. "The _wicked witch_ isn't all that wicked."

"Dude she's too hot to be wicked," Joey said. "Wicked witch's look like that fuckin' decoration on the wall. All old and ugly and shit. Ugh..." Joey shook his head, prompting a grin from Willow. "Hey, I had an idea!" Joey suddenly spoke up loudly, and Joker rolled his eyes.

"And what might that be?"

"At the club," Joey started. "How sweet would it be for the girls to wear costumes?"

"Ah, now _there's_ an idea," Joker said with a grin as he rolled his head against the seat to look at Joey. "Introducing a little _spirit _to the club. Tell me, you gonna have the girls dress as elves and reindeer around Christmas too?"

"No," Joey said firmly. "That's stupid, what the fuck man? Whatever. It's a great idea, and Willow agrees with me."

"No, no, it's a great idea," Joker agreed. "If you do it right."

It was Joey's turn to roll his eyes, and he let the subject drop as he drove on. In the near distance he could see the bright lights of the city as they drew further from the neighborhoods, and he switched hands on the wheel before asking again, "where are we going?"

"Alma and Hopeful street," Joker finally answered. "_That _area will busy enough to test out my _theory_."

"Theory?" Joey repeated. "What theory?"

"If they believe this is a real _costume_," Joker started in his clowny voice. "Then we can move on to phase two of the night."

"Phase two?" Joey repeated flatly. "What's that?"

"You'll see," was all Joker said as Joey turned onto Alma Drive.

–

Just as Joker had predicted, the intersection of the two neighborhoods were bustling with excited children and parents as they walked along the sidewalks, moving from door door, collecting more and more candy in their bags. Joey let out a rumbling growl from under his breath as he creeped past the intersection, and he said nothing when Joker instructed him on where to park. His car was loud as he moved over to the curb, and he threw his car in park before immediately turning to glance at Joker. "You're crazy," was all he said, his facial expression unamused.

Joker didn't bother looking at him as he adjusted his gloves. "And _when _this works, you'd better be calling me smart," Joker returned before he placed his hand on the handle to push the door open. "Willow, let's go."

Willow was grinning when she stepped out of the car, but her heart was racing in pure, nervous anticipation as well. Already, so many parents – and children – were staring at him, and as she watched him close the door, his demeanor screamed nothing but authentic Joker. What would he do if panic overcame the mass? What would he do if police showed up? Kill everyone in sight and hop back into the car to speed back to Joey's? But with what weapon? The two hand guns he had on him? What if he actually got caught and hauled to jail, or Arkham? But as Joker casually started away from the car, it was evident he didn't have a worry in the world. He glanced over his shoulder and held his arm and hand behind him, and with a deep breath Willow scampered up to him.

"I'm scared," she said in a small voice once she had approached him, and she glanced down to Joker's arm when he linked it with hers.

"Why?" he asked as they continued to casually stroll down the street, and Willow glanced around, noticing all the people staring at him.

"What if this doesn't work?"

Joker glanced down to her before he looked back up. "So what if doesn't?"

Willow sighed. It was useless talking to him. Joker was confident in the fact that this would work, and if it didn't, Willow was sure he had an escape plan. "Everyone is staring," she said a moment later. She glanced up to Joker's face, and she watched as he smiled, nodded, and mumbled 'hello's' to people as they walked past. Parents stared, their eyebrows furrowed as they tried to figure out why someone would dress up as Gotham's most wanted, while teenagers gawked at him, grinning after when Joker smiled at them. Willow's eyebrows furrowed now as she studied him. He appeared more friendly than normal, and when he spoke, he didn't use his usual clowny voice that the city was so accustomed to hearing. His hair was clean – it carried more volume than normal – and the green was vibrant and bright, something the city wasn't used to seeing as well. Now that she could study his face in the dim lighting of outside, his makeup did look like a cheap attempt to copy the 'real' Joker's. She glanced away and stared ahead. Maybe this would work...

Joker continued to walk amongst the trick-or-treaters, a small grin on his face while Willow walked beside him, studying the expressions on each person that looked at Joker. Sometime during their walk, Willow had glanced over her shoulder to see what Joey was doing, but she grew confused and even slightly annoyed when she noticed his car was no longer parked against the curb. Her eyebrows furrowed, but right before she could turn to ask Joker where Joey went, Joker stopped beside her, stopping her as well, and when Willow faced forward again she saw some teenager – no older than seventeen – dressed as a zombie. He had so bravely stopped Joker to admire his costume, and Willow held her breath as she stood her ground.

"Hey man, cool Joker costume!" The kid boasted. "I didn't know they sold those! Where'd you get it?"

Joker was smiling widely at the kid, and he kept firm eye contact with him. "Oh, you know, some costume store on the internet. I didn't know they sold this _either_. I was a uh, real _steal_."

"It looks so authentic," the teenager was going on as he dropped his gaze to stare at Joker's purple trench coat, and Joker glanced down at Willow to wink at her. Her heart had started to race, and she wondered desperately if Joker was about to do something to not only harm the kid, but blow their cover as well. A sly smile overtook Joker's lips as he glanced away to look back at the kid, and he started to take his arm back from Willow before he started to open one of the sides of his coat.

"You wanna see what the _best _part of this _costume _is?" Joker asked, his voice taking on that lower tone, and Willow swallowed as she watched him stick his gloved hand into the inside pocket of his coat. _Of course... _she thought to herself.

As the kid stood and watched, a look of sight confusion and nervousness started to overcome his face, and his body stiffened slightly as he took a small step back. Joker took his time with removing the object from his pocket, not once breaking his gaze from the kid, and he loved the way the teenager's own eyes bounced from Joker's hand to his own eyes vigorously. Joker licked his lips just before the object could reveal itself, and before anyone could do anything else, he suddenly flicked open the blade of the knife he had just pulled out and stuck it in the kid's face. Willow jumped, gasping slightly while the teenager jumped back as well, and Willow's eyes went wide as they immediately found the scared kid. But nobody screamed in terror and Joker did not step forward to slash the boy's neck, and instead, as Joker and the teenager stared at each other, they both started to laugh in unison, confusing Willow even further.

Still chuckling, Joker brought the knife closer to his face, placed his finger on the tip of it, and pulled the flexible blade down before letting it snap back up. "_Plastic_," was all Joker said, and he continued to grin as the kid's laughter died down. Willow rolled her eyes, remembering finally that Joker had shown her that less than an hour ago.

"_Man!_" He laughed. "You're_ really _good at that! You fuckin' scared me bro!"

"Oh, you know," Joker said with a smile as he rolled his eyes lazily to the side before looking back to the boy. "I've had some... _practice_."

"Yeah no kidding! Hey! Have you guys gone to the City Square yet? I bet you would beat everybody in that costume contest!"

"I wasn't aware they were having one..." Joker started slowly, ignoring the way Willow turned her head to glance up at him. "When does it end?"

"They award the winner at ten!" The teenager said loudly with a laugh afterward. "All you gotta do is show up and write your name on the sign-in list, then wait and see if you get nominated."

"Sounds _interesting_," Joker said with a grin. "We'll consider it. Will _you _be there?"

"Oh, no," the teenager said. "I got a party to go to Uptown in a lil' bit." Joker frowned.

"Pity," he said. "Well it was _lovely _talking to you. Have a _wonderful _night."

"Yeah you too!" The teenager said just as Joker started to walk past, Willow right behind him, but he stopped short when the boy suddenly called out to him. "Hey! I meant to ask you! How did you manage to copy his scars so good?"

Joker grinned deviously before he turned around to face the teenager again. "They were little _stick on _things that you glue to your face, and paint over," he said, grinning widely again. "Pretty neat, huh?"

"Hell yeah," the teenager agreed, his eyes dropping down to stare at Joker's scars before he lifted them up to Joker's eyes again. "Well shit man, I'd rather some cool dude dressed as the Joker be out tonight rather than the real one," the teenager began, and Joker fought himself with trying not to laugh. He crossed his arms, plastic knife still in hand, and sucked in his lips as he focused on remaining calm, but Willow could see the way his knee started to bounce as he stood there. "My mom was all scared and shit, didn't want me to go out, but like hell I was gonna miss Halloween. But I was nervous too, I mean the guy's been pretty quiet lately... it makes sense he'd pick Halloween to do something, right? I mean cause he's such a fuckin' freak and everything..."

Joker swallowed back his laughter and finally nodded his head. "Oh, I agree," he said. "But I bet the guy had more _important _things to do. Like sit at home and watch the Criss Angle marathon with his _stupid _friends all night."

Willow rolled her eyes while the teenager made a face.

"Friends? You really think that guy has friends?"

Joker shrugged. "Maybe," he answered. "I can hardly believe it myself..." he mumbled under his breath, and Willow couldn't help but to grin slightly and shake her head.

"Well, I dunno about that," the teenager went on with a small laugh. "But hey, if they keep that dude away from destroying the city, I'm good. I'm just glad I could come out tonight."

Joker let out a very slow and very controlled laugh. "You're one of the lucky ones, pal," Joker said as he patted him once on the back. "Have a _safe _night, and have fun at that _party_."

"Good luck at that costume contest, bro!" The teenager called out to him as Joker and Willow started to walk away. "You'll win for sure!"

"Oh, there's no doubt in my mind," Joker growled to himself as he placed his hand on Willow's lower back. The gesture sent a shock up her spine, but she ignored it as he turned to glance up at Joker.

"I told you this would work," Joker said before she could speak.

"I thought you were going to kill him!" She said under her breath as they started to cross the street where two neighbors intersected.

"Now Willow, that would have blown our cover!" Joker said. "That kid was... _nice_, with nothing but nice things to say about my _costume_."

"He had no idea how much danger he was in," Willow said back as she glanced away. Joker stopped suddenly, forcing her to stop beside him, and he put his hands on her shoulders before turning her to to face him. When she glanced up at him she saw Joker was glaring directly into her eyes.

"_You _have no idea how much danger _you're _in, have been in, and will _continue _to be in," Joker started, enjoying the way Willow cowered back slightly, and a moment later he grinned before licking his lips. "But that's the fun of it, isn't it? That kid cheated death tonight, and he doesn't even realize it. _You_, somehow... find ways to _continuously _cheat death, and I can't figure out _why_." Joker sounded annoyed, but before Willow knew it, Joker had licked his lips again and pulled her closer to him before he leaned down slightly to firmly press his lips against hers. His action had answered his own question, Willow realized, and she knew this was the very reason why Joker didn't kill her. A sense of warmth overcame her upon realizing just how safe she felt, and despite what Joker had told her, she didn't feel like she was in danger at all.

Joker broke away from the kiss a long moment later, and he saw Willow was grinning at him when he pulled away. He stared into her eyes for a moment before he finally leaned away from her and started to walk again, this time keeping his arm slung around her shoulders. "Let's go find where Joseph went, hmm?"

"Sounds good," Willow agreed as she continued to walk as close as possible to Joker, that same grin never leaving her face.

–

A few moments later they found Joey parked up the street a little more in a less crowded area, and the bass boomed from within his car due to his loud music. When he spotted Joker and Willow coming, he turned down the radio and glanced over to the passenger side as Joker opened the door to get in.

"Hello stupid friend!" Joker greeted loudly, and Joey cocked an eyebrow.

"Hi...?"

"The test passed," Joker informed. "No one knew it was me. And we met the _loveliest _guy who was full of nothing but compliments."

Joey rolled his eyes as he faced forward again. "That's good. I'm surprised you didn't kill him."

"There was no need, Joseph. As I told Willow it would have blown our cover. He did call me a freak though."

"You _are _a freak," Joey mumbled as he took his car out of park, and he slowly started to accelerate the car as he turned around.

"He says Halloween would have been a good time for the _Joker _to make a comeback, since he's been oh-so _quiet _and everything lately. But I told him he was probably at home, watching TV with his _friends_."

"If only," Joey mumbled again as he sped forward out of the neighborhood now. Joker was grinning, and he tossed the plastic knife behind him onto Willow's lap. Just as she picked it up, she heard Joker's real knife snap open, and she glanced up toward the front as Joey drove on. "So where to now?" He asked.

"Wisteria Manor Haunted House," Joker said. "Phase two of three for our night of _terror_."

Joey rolled his eyes. "Terror?" He repeated. "When does this terror start? All you've done so far is walked around with children."

"It starts _now_, Joseph. Why aren't you wearing your headband?"

Joey sighed, and he glanced over to glare into Joker's amused eyes. Joker grinned at him, but said nothing more as he turned to glance out of the window.

The group hadn't been driving too much longer when in the distance Willow could see the haunted house up ahead. She leaned over slightly to stare out of the windshield in the middle of Joker and Joey, and watched as the building grew closer and closer. She said nothing as Joker commanded Joey on where to go and where to park, and before she knew it Joey was putting the Camaro in park in the back most parking spaces of the lot.

"Jack, for real bro, the fuck are we doing here?"

Joker was grinning as he placed his knife into his pants pocket, and he took his time with answering as he adjusted his gloves. "Haven't you always wanted to be part of the crew at a haunted house, Joseph?"

"No."

"See? Exactly!" Joker boasted. "Who _hasn't_?" He added in an annoyed growl as he stole a glance at Joey before he looked back down to his gloves. "And with being Wisteria's newest crew members, we're going to give these _visitors _a night they'll never forget... even in the _afterlife_."

"Wait, we're sneaking in there to _kill _people!?"

"Well _duh _Joseph!" Joker spoke loudly as he turned to Joey, Willow watching them quietly from the back of the car all the while. "Did you expect anything _less _from me? Did you _really _think I planned on dragging you two along to these places without ruining peoples seemingly safe, traditional night? I'm disappointed."

Joey rolled his eyes. "How the hell is that gonna work, huh? You have a few guns and some knives, and you plan on killing everyone out here?"

"Don't be _stupid_, Joey, I'm not killing everyone out here. Just a select _few_."

Joey was staring at him. "Not sure I follow, Jack."

"Of course you don't," Joker mumbled. "Just do what I say, relax, have some fun, and it'll all make sense, _Kapish_?"

"Whatever," Joey mumbled. "But I'm not wearing that headband."

"There's no need, Joseph," Joker sighed as he got out of the car, Willow and Joey following his actions.

The haunted house was bustling with eager guests as they waited in the ticket line and entrance to the actual haunted house line. Various ages were represented amongst the crowd, and some were costumed while others were not. Willow couldn't help but to grow insanely nervous as she, Joker and Joey stood in line to get tickets. Most people were staring at Joker, and when any of the three would look at them, they'd quickly turn around. Joker's trick may have worked around children and parents who would rush them away, but she felt as though the circumstances were different here.

Before long, they were next to buy tickets, and as Joey slapped the money down in Joker's hand with a roll of his eyes, the girl selling the tickets was smiling widely at Joker.

"That's a great costume," she complimented as she accepted the money from Joker. "I had no idea anyone would sell something like that."

"Why _thank you_," Joker spoke as he stole a glance at Willow, and he grinned before he looked back to the girl. "My _friends _here were scared it would cause too much, uh, _panic_ among the crowds."

"Let's hope it does," the girl said as she handed him three tickets. "I mean, that's the point of Halloween right? Fear? You really know what you're doing. Brilliant idea."

"That's what I said!" Joker said to her with a wide smile, prompting Joey and Willow to roll their eyes.

"You gonna hit up that costume contest?" The girl asked now, ignoring the stares from the people behind Joker and his crew.

"I am _highly_ considering it," Joker replied. "Have a wonderful night."

"Yeah, you too! Have fun," the girl said just as Joker walked past her behind Joey and Willow. "You see?" Joker said now once he had caught up with Joey. "I'm a genius."

Joey shook his head. "For now. I'm still waiting for this plan to backfire."

"It won't," Joker assured as they approached the second line, and when Willow glanced up at him she saw he was wearing an all-knowing grin on his painted face.

They waited in line for nearly twenty minutes before it was their turn to go in. Once they were next in line, Willow breathed in and out deeply as her eyes wandered up the building of the haunted house. Dirty, gray bricks covered the outside, and dead wisteria vines weaved their way down the sides of the building and hung down eerily. In front of them, a man in an evil clown costume clutched on the rope that kept the wooden, trap door shut in front of them. A moment later, when Willow's gaze had dropped down to him, he waved them over slowly and menacingly as he started to pull down on the rope to open the door. Joker glanced over at Willow and Joey with a wide smile.

"Here we go," he said in a low, dark voice, and as soon as Joker stepped forward Willow tried to inconspicuously step behind him so Joey would walk behind her. She reached out to clutch the back of Joker's coat as she followed him into the pitch black darkness, and once Joey was inside, Willow jumped when the door slammed closed. Joey laughed from behind her as Joker continued on, his eyes adjusting to the darkness as he tried figure out when he should make his first move.

"You ever been to a haunted house girl?" Joey asked, and Willow could feel him leaning in closer to her.

"Once or twice," she answered as she fixed her hold on Joker's coat, and her eyebrows furrowed when she felt Joey place his hand on her shoulder before he moved his fingers down the length of her arm. Once he felt what her hand was holding, he laughed and shook his head as he took his hand back.

"You're pathetic. You're seriously scared right now?"

"No..."

"There's no need to be scared," Joker's clowny voice suddenly spoke as they continued to walk on toward a small, dim light. "_We _are about to become the terror that people will fear..."

Joey made a slightly confused face just as they reached the light, and Willow frowned when she realized they were supposed to crawl through a small passageway to the next room. Her heart was racing, but she knew it was silly to be scared. Everything here was fake, and she knew that Joker's plans would soon have her fearing nothing but getting caught. She finally let go of Joker as he bent down to start crawling, and she followed his actions as Joker continued to listen, making sure that trap door didn't open or close again. He kept his eyes facing forward, and he slowed his pace as he glanced into the dim room ahead of him, just past the small passage. His eyes could instantly make out an undead, creepy jester waiting to jump out at them in the room, and he quickly scanned the rest of the room to make sure the jester was alone. The room was small and bare, and a door existed just a few feet away. _Perfect_, Joker thought to himself.

Before Willow knew what was happening, Joker had quickened his pace and stood up quickly in the room, and her heart skipped a beat when she suddenly heard footsteps sliding and scuffing all over the floor before the sound of a skull hitting the cold, brick wall echoed throughout the small room. Her eyes went wide in the darkness, and right when she approached the end of the tunnel her eyes found Joker leaned over the knocked out, costumed man, his mask laying on the floor by the wooden door, and Joey's mouth fell open once he stood up as well.

"Jack, what the _fuck_?"

"Put this on," Joker commanded him quickly as he took off the costume from the man. Joey made a face as Joker threw him the black and red, ripped jumpsuit, but Joey was left with no time to complain as Joker kicked off the mask. "Faster, Joseph, c'mon!"

Willow's heart continued to race as Joey quickly put the costume on over his clothes, and her eyes moved over to Joker as he turned the man onto his stomach before he bent one of his legs at the knee and bent his arm to rest against his back in that cliché dead pose. Once Joey had started to put the mask on and Joker had stepped away from the body, he heard that trap door slam close, and he immediately reached out to grab Willow and Joey's arms. "Alright, let's go," Joker said before he pushed Joey toward the door.

"Jack," he complained, his voice muffled through the mask. "What am I supposed t-"

"_Go_," Joker commanded as he shoved Joey and Willow through the open door, and without another word he disappeared behind them, letting the wooden door close slowly...

–

The trap door slammed shut behind the four friends, and an older, teenage blonde girl hugged herself tighter against her boyfriend.

"Stacey, c'mon, let go," her boyfriend, Michael hissed as he pushed her off of him, and she stepped back with a whimper, her best friend and boyfriend rolling their eyes behind her.

"But Michael, I'm scared."

"You're supposed to be," Michael murmured. The friends continued on through the darkness, their hearts racing faster as they approached the light that shone through the tunnel, and Stacey's deep breaths and slight whimpers filled the room. Her eyes widened when she saw the tunnel on the floor, and she immediately reached out to take hold of her boyfriend's arm.

"Michael are we supposed to crawl through that?" She asked frantically as he pulled his arm away from her. "I-I can't do that!"

"_Stacey_, baby stop, please. It's a haunted house, everything is fake here. Nobody can touch you. Just c'mon."

Stacey let out a shaky sigh as she crouched down behind her boyfriend, and the four friends crawled their way through the tunnel into the small, empty room. Michael braced himself for someone to jump out at them, but once he stood up in the small room, nothing happened. His girlfriend, however, did let out a small scream when she saw the body laying on the floor.

"It's a decoration, Stacey!" Michael said to her in an annoyed tone of voice as he held his open palm towards the body. "Duh."

Stacey was still staring at the 'decoration' as Michael proceeded with opening the door, and once she realized her best friend was stepping ahead of her, she quickly turned around and pressed herself up against Michael again.

Joey stayed hidden up above on a wooden rafter in the darkness of the next room as the four friends cautiously stepped inside. His hot breath lingered within the mask, but he ignored this as he kept his eyes focused on the four as they walked further into the room. Workers dressed as zombies moved about them, chasing them through the room, and Joey listened to the girls scream at the top of their lungs as he waited. The room was L-shaped, and Joey knew that just when the last guest turned the corner was when he would do what Joker had commanded. Joey wasn't nervous, and it he didn't exactly feel bad for brutally murdering anyone. Truth be told, the longer he hung out up on the rafter, in his mask, the more excited and nervous he began feel.

He fixed his clutch on each of the knives in his hand, and moved onto his feet as he leaned over to stare down at the dimly lit, stone floor. The first guy and a blonde chick moved under him toward the tarp that separated the current room from the next, followed by another girl and a guy that lingered behind her. Once the three friends had started into the tarp room, Joey instantly jumped down from the low rafter directly in front of the teenage boy. He jumped and gasped loudly, but a grinned a moment later in amusement. Unknown to him, Joey grinned as well, and before the guy could start to walk past Joey reached out, clutching the boy's shirt, and as he turned him he let go with his right hand and shoved the knife into his chest as he pressed him against the wall. Before any other louder noises could be made, Joey used the other knife and immediately slit the boy's throat, and he stepped back as blood poured and gurgled from his mouth and wounds. Breathing deeply, Joey lowered his arms, his costume stained with blood, but Joker's directions lingered in his mind, and he left the boy to die in the darkest corner as he moved on to the next room: the mirror room.

For a while the three remaining friends hadn't even noticed a member missing from their group. They moved on through the maze of mirrors, Stacey rushing Michael along in a desperate attempt to get out of the room, but little did they know, Willow was not only following them, but watching, and waiting for her turn...

She kept her hat tilted low to hide her face, and she kept her slightly shaking fingers clutched tightly around the knife Joker had given her. Every once in a while, Stacey and her friend would gasp when they saw a black figure move past them in one of the mirrors, but whenever they frantically looked around, the figure was nowhere to be found. Willow tried to stay calm and collected as she waited to spring before they had a chance to escape the room, but her heart started to race even faster when she noticed they had almost made it through the maze. She took a deep breath, however, as she kept her eyes on her target, knowing Joey was in the room as well, and ready to help her out if she needed it.

Just when Stacey's friend realized her boyfriend was missing, her eyebrows furrowed as she started to glance around. "Hey guys," she said. "Matt's gone."

"I doubt it, Chloe," Michael murmured under his breath. Eyebrows still furrowed, Chloe turned around, only to jump and gasp when her eyes fell upon the costume of a bloody jester with two plastic, bloody knives in his hand. She struggled to catch her breath as she quickly turned around to walk closer to her friends, and Stacey gasped when she finally noticed what was following them.

"Michael!" She whined. "I don't like this!"

Michael ignored her as he continued to weave his way around the mirrors, his hands extended in front of him as he felt his way past the mirrors and through openings. The timed lights started to flicker up ahead, and the two girls whimpered more as they followed Michael. Willow continued to follow and watch, her eyes falling on Joey as he followed slowly behind them, and when she glanced back to Michael she saw he had found the exit, and had started out of the mirror room by crouching down again to crawl through another tunnel. Just before Stacey's friend could follow her past the mirrors, Joey quickly reached out and grabbed her, his gloved hand instantly clapping over her mouth to silence her as Stacey went on, practically sobbing all the while as she crouched down behind her boyfriend.

Willow instantly moved past the mirrors to get to Joey, and she stared into the eyes of the frightened victim as she struggled against Joey, some of her whimpers escaping past Joey's hand.

"Hurry!" He hissed, and as soon as the word left his mouth, Willow reached out and slid the knife across the girl's neck, her hand still shaking slightly. Joey instantly pushed Chloe away from him and let her dying body slide down the mirror, and Willow stared at her reflection through all the blood with wide eyes as the lights continued to flicker.

"Jack's crazy," Joey said as he moved past her with a grin. "I can't believe this is working."

"M-me either," Willow said, finally turning to follow Joey out of the mirror room as well, and she tried hard to ignore the layers of blood that covered her arms and hands.

"Michael, where'd Chloe and Matt go?" Stacey frantically asked once they had reached the next room, which was nothing more than scary replicas of the scariest scenes in well known horror movies.

"I don't know," Michael said as he went on, his own heart starting to race as he was forced to walk directly next to a well in which a little girl in white and long black hair was crawling out of. He side stepped her hands reaching out to him, and Stacey felt tears burn behind her eyes as she struggled to catch up with him. "Michael they're not behind us!"

"I'm sure they're still in the last room, fuckin' kissing or something. They're _fine_, Stace."

Michael had no idea how wrong he was, or the fate that awaited him and his annoying girlfriend once they completed the haunted house.

They spent the next ten minutes making their way through the movie room and the rest of the haunted house. They found their way out of a maze of bedrooms that was haunted with the living dead and ghost-like characters, and Stacey finally found the time to cry and freak out more than she had as a man with a chainsaw followed them through the second to the last room. Little did she know, the last room held nothing but Stacey's biggest fear...

Michael slowly pushed open the creaky wooden door, and his eyes widened slightly as he stepped into the large, circular room. The floor, walls and ceilings were completely black, and a large light from an unknown source shined circle shapes of bright colored light all over the place, the colorful circles spinning all about room with the intent to make the guests feel dizzy. Michael fought through it, but after he had blinked a few times, he finally realized what was hanging out in the room: clowns.

He let out a loud sigh just as Stacey started to hyperventilate, and her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water as she struggled to find his sleeve with a shaking hand.

"M-michael!" She gasped. "Mich-Michael!"

"I _know_," Michael muttered as they stood in the center of the room. He was looking past the clowns to find where the exit door was, and he tried to ignore Stacey as she gasped, watching the various clowns dance around her. Some were tall, wearing stilts, while others were short and at eye level with her, and they glared into her eyes as they moved in closer. Stacey was shaking, unable to tear her eyes away from the gruesome smiles, soulless eyes, bright hair and blood-stained circus jumpsuits, and she especially noticed the various weapons they all carried. Michael had started forward, tugging her with him, but she halted in her tracks immediately when her eyes focused on something even more terrible than all the clowns.

After Joker had informed the costumed workers about the 'last minute decision the manager had made with including _the Joker _with the clowns on Halloween night' for the haunted house, Joker had been lingering in the back, and he kept his hands clutched on his knife and gun as he stared at the remaining pair. Just when Stacey had glanced over in his direction, a blood red colored circle of light slowly moved over his face, illuminating once portion at a time, and the last thing she saw was his sinister grin before he leaned away from the wall.

"Michael! I-it's the - Joker!"

"Stacey…"

"Baby I'm serious! _Look_!" Stacey reached out and pulled Michael toward her as she turned her body, and with thin, annoyed lips Michael looked in the direction she was pointing with a shaking hand. His eyes found Joker's frame as he slowly started toward them, and Joker watched as his eyes widened while his mouth fell open slowly. But when Joker's grin expanded, Michael closed his mouth and rolled his eyes as he glanced back at his girlfriend.

"Were in a _haunted house _baby. It's a dude in a costume. It's not scary."

_You have no idea how wrong you are_, Joker thought as he continued to approach them. Michael finally tugged Stacey away as they started toward the exit, and Joker remained following behind them as they started through the small, final hallway of the haunted house. A recorded scream blarred through the hidden speakers as they stepped out of the door, prompting a shout and a jump from Stacey. Michael sighed, finally letting go of her hand, and he stopped walking when Stacey started whimper.

"Michael," she whined. "He's following us!"

"It's all part of the act, Stace!" Michael said loudly, losing his patience. "Where's Chloe and Matt?" He was ignoring Joker as he continued to approach them, his footsteps loud on the pavement, and another sly grin slid onto his lips as he adjusted his hold on his knife.

"_Micha-eeel_," Joker whined, mimicking the girl, and Michael cocked an eyebrow as his body stiffened slightly. These characters weren't supposed to actually talk to the guests… "It seems as though all of our friends have been _murdered_!" Joker continued to mimic in her whining voice. Stacey's jaw had dropped when she took a step back toward her boyfriend, and his body remained stiff once Joker finally approached them. "-without us ever realizing it," Joker finished in his normal, dark tone of voice. "But who would have? _Michael_ is too busy trying to make his way out of the house and _away _from his terrified and _annoying _girlfriend. It seems as though this haunted house didn't do either of you any good. It just simply wasn't… _fun_," Joker growled.

Michael went lightheaded as he continued to stare at Joker, not allowing himself to realize the character in front of him was the real Joker. Stacey was scared stiff, and while her body would not allow her to move, in her heart she knew she would never leave her beloved boyfriend behind. At the same time, however, their logic was desperate to make the fact that this was all still part of the act dominate. The haunted house was featuring _the Joker_; of course they would want to play up on people's fear and make it seem as though they were in real danger.

"Jokes over, pal," Michael spoke up loudly.

"Oh no," Joker disagreed as he took a step forward, and as he continued to speak he lifted up his arms slightly on either side of him. "I haven't even delivered the punchline yet, you see! The _joke _goes like this- _I _'dress up' as the Joker. You, normal citizens believe it's a costume, until it's too late. It's the ultimate trick on Halloween, and I've fooled you. Are you ready for your treat?"

"_Michael_!" Stacey screamed as soon as Joker raised his silenced gun to point directly at her, and as soon as the shout had left her mouth, Joker pulled the trigger. A strong dizzy spell overcame Michael as blood splattered on him while he watched his girlfriend's body fall like a tone of bricks to the ground, and with a racing heart and wide, terrified eyes he glanced back up to Joker just as the exit door to the haunted house opened. Willow and Joey stepped outside in just enough time to witness Michael die.

Without a word from Joker and before Michael could do anything to save himself, Joker pulled the trigger, landing a bullet directly through his chest, and a wide smile found his painted lips as Michael fell onto his back, a puddle of blood spreading on the ground underneath him. Joker took a large step over to him and planted his feet on either side of his body, and Willow and Joey watched from behind him as Joker bent down to take a hold of Michael's jaw, and he squeezed as hard as he could on it.

"_Happy Halloween!_" Joker shouted before that characteristic, maniacal, boom of a laugh escaped past his lips, and the sound sent a strong shudder down Willow's spine as it echoed off the walls. He let Michael's head drop down heavily onto the pavement before he instantly waved Joey and Willow on behind him, and they quickly followed him to the parking lot.

As they jogged behind Joker, Willow frantically glanced around their surroundings as her heart raced, the blood on her arms and hands now dry, and she was convinced they were going to get caught as they made their way to Joey's car. But the parking lot was empty, and the few people that stood in the ticket line weren't even looking in their direction. Once Willow faced forward again, she noticed Joker was laughing while Joey managed to throw his mask and gloves on the ground and take his keys out of his pocket before unlocking his Camaro.

"Jack! We're gonna get blood all over my seats man!"

"We can clean it!" Joker said excitedly as he threw open the passenger side door, and once everyone was in Joey immediately started the car and sped out of the parking lot. His heart was racing, his mind was going at a million miles a minute, but yet a wide smile still spread onto his lips, and he slammed his hand down on the steering wheel once they were on a main road. "Man!" He shouted. "I can't _believe _that worked."

"A haunted house is a perfect place for a killer to hide and murder nearly inconspicuously," Joker said. "I've always thought that, but never tried it. I'd say it was a complete success! Willow, what do you think? You have fun?" Joker turned in his seat to glance back at her, and though she was slightly out of breath, Willow flashed him a wide smile.

"Yeah!" She said. "I mean, it was scary, but fun."

"The founding basis of Halloween night," Joker agreed as he turned back around. "Joseph, give me your cell phone."

"Why?" Joey asked as he switched lanes. Joker held out his hand and waggled his fingers.

"Just do it. We have one more stop."

Joey didn't sigh or roll his eyes this time, and instead he took his phone from his pocket and placed it in Joker's hand, who immediately began to dial a number. He stayed silent as he waited to see who was calling, Willow doing the same in the back, but once Joker spoke up she couldn't help but jump slightly.

"Rocco, old boy!" Joker shouted. "Round up the boys, gather some _ammonium nitrate and diesel gasoline_, and head out to the Halloween celebration in towns square!"

Joker's next plan was the worst the city was going to witness and fall under all night. Willow wasn't sure if she had the privilege or devastation of overhearing Joker's plans, but she figured that something like this would be better not being a surprise to the people working with Joker. After Joey had dropped Willow and Joker off, and as they walked down the sidewalk to the large gathering directly in the middle of towns square, Joker's words that spoke the plan and mental images finally started to come together. A large Jack O' Lantern, nearly fifteen feet high by sixteen feet wide existed directly behind all the madness of people, and a large, contained fire burned with in it, illuminating the area with eerie, orange flickering light. Many people gathered around it, ooo-ing and awe-ing at its magnificence, but little did they know, Willow thought, it would be the cause of their gruesome death. She swallowed as she continued on beside Joker, and once they rounded a small corner to cross the street toward the mass, Willow's eyes fell upon a large stage in front of the area, on the opposite side of the artificial pumpkin. Already, citizens donning their creative costumes were lined up on the stage, and Willow watched as the host of the city took the mic up front. It appeared as though they had made it in just enough time to witness the winner of the costume contest, and this corresponded with Joker's plans perfectly.

"Alright, Joey's parked behind the stage," Joker said, stopping them in their tracks before he turned to glance at her nervous expression. "This will all go down quickly. Head behind there now, and when Joey says, get in the car. I'll be right behind you."

"You promise?" Willow asked, her eyes bouncing back and forth between Joker's, and he grinned.

"I _promise_."

Willow believed him, and with a frantic, racing heart she started toward the stage just as Joker disappeared into the crowd, shoving and bumping his way past the mass of people toward the stage himself.

"This year, we have witnessed an amazing attendance to our event, and some very terrifying and creative costumes have been nominated," the host started with a wide grin on his face. He cleared his throat before going on. "Before we announce the winner, I would like to thank Gotham for making this event possible. It is you, the citizens, that make this city so outstanding. So! Without further ado," he paused, and he reached out to take the name of the winner a woman handed to him on a folded piece of paper. He was so preoccupied with unfolding the paper that he failed to realize Joker had climbed onto the stage in unison with gasps from the audience. "The winner is-"

"_Me_!" Joker spoke loudly into the microphone after he had stole it away from the host, and he shoved him away before turning to face the crowd. "I declare myself winner of this _costume contest, _because I've _tricked _you all!"

The crowd murmured and gasped as they continued to stare up at him, and Joker grinned as he watched some people start to shove their way out of the crowd to run to the safety of their cars. But the vast majority of the crowd wasn't as smart, and instead they stood like turkey's in the rain, with their jaws dropped to the ground as they waited to see what else Joker had to say. Willow stood behind the raised stage on the ground, and she breathed deeply as she waited for Joker to go on, wondering where in the world Joey was.

"Who else was this creative in our _outstanding _city?" Joker asked as he stole a glance at the host. "By dressing as myself, the _outstanding _citizens that I encountered all thought this was a costume. '_The _real _Joker wouldn't just _walk around _in the middle of _everything _on Halloween night! He can't be _that _crazy, can he_?!'" Joker mimicked what he assumed the thoughts of the people would have been. "Hate to break it to ya, but I guess he is. I've never been so… _productive _on Halloween, you see, but perhaps now I have found a new tradition! You better watch out, Gotham…" his voice dropped into a lower pitched growl, and he ducked his head slightly as he stared out at the crowd, his eyes slowly roaming from the left to the right. "Halloween might not be so _pretend _anymore." He paused, letting his evil words sink into the minds of the crowd, and suddenly, with a more upbeat tone and expression, he turned toward the lady who held the large costume contest award, a glass witch's cauldron filled with candy and the words '2012 Gotham City Halloween Costume Contest Winner!' engraved in the front, and he snatched it from her with one hand. Once he steadied the award in between his body and arm, he turned to face the crowd again. "So I'll take my award, and be on my way. Happy Halloween, Gotham City!"

He dropped the microphone, letting it fall onto the stage, and the crowd grew upset at the loud ringing noise set off by it. Joker jumped down the opposite side of the stage, and he grinned evilly to himself as he stepped up to Joey's car parked against the curb on the street behind the stage, which had arrived moments ago. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Willow was in the back, and she glanced up at him with wide, frantic eyes. Joker reached around the award and into his pocket as he turned around just when Joey had started off down the street, and Willow watched as he pulled out the detonator. Joker was laughing, Joey was grinning, and Willow scooted over to the other side of the car to watch the mass of people just continue to stand there. _Idiots, _she thought to herself as Joey sped past, two cop cars speeding past them toward the Halloween event.

Moments later, after Joey had turned onto another street and raced even further from the event, Willow turned to watch as Joker held up the detonator, and her heart skipped a beat when he pressed his thumb down on the red button. A loud explosion sounded behind her, and she turned in her seat quickly to watch a large mushroom cloud expand toward the sky and brighten the night. Joker had turned around as well while Joey watched from the side view mirror, and Joker let out the loudest laugh yet.

"This has been the _best _Halloween I've ever had," he said finally. "How about you two?"

"I gotta admit," Joey said, his racing heart finally starting to slow. "It was better than watching Criss Angel."

"See? Wasn't all this so much better than _levitating _through the TV?" Joey and Joker laughed while Willow grinned in the back. "And how about you, my little buttercup?" Joker wondered as he turned around.

"Best Halloween ever?" Joey questioned as he looked at her through the rear view mirror. Willow nodded.

"Best Halloween ever!"

* * *

**Thanks for the favorites and reviews guys! Hope you all had a Happy Halloween and enjoyed the story :D**


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